
News
Thursday 8 August 2024
DoDay has carved a niche for itself in the Tasmanian fitness industry by focusing on helping people that need it the most, those that are not currently engaged in fitness.
The client base ranges from 10 years old to 73 years old, male, female, 45 - 200 kilos, those on the NDIS, those from the LGBTQIA+ community, those who have strong sporting/fitness backgrounds and those who have never stepped foot inside a gym before.
Founder Michael Behrakis said, “I founded DoDay to help people from all walks of life feel welcome in a gym environment. It is a challenge to encourage those not currently engaged with the fitness industry to start training, but slowly, we will make it happen.
“We have conducted significant research to understand the barriers to entry, so that we can help people overcome them and feel their best.
Gym facilities are particularly important for providing recreation opportunities for children, families, people with caring responsibilities, people with disabilities and people seeking casual or informal exercise. Major leisure facilities provide crucial infrastructure for active recreation for residents of diverse backgrounds, of diverse abilities, of all genders and through all life stages. While attendance at a gym is the second most popular form of physical activity in Australia second only to walking, only 5.6% of the population have a membership. Further, women are 45% less likely to attend than men due to the overly masculine gym environment. Gym intimidation is a major barrier. A UK study exploring women’s experiences of barriers to access in gyms found the ‘hardcore’ masculine gym environment could be ‘unsupportive, isolating and discouraging’ for women’s training, making many feel ‘unwelcome’ or ‘intruders’. This was a recurring theme in all contemporary gyms researched.
“My vision is to see as many people as possible gain the benefits of regular strength training – which national health guidelines recommend we should all be doing a minimum of two days per week, because the health benefits are so extensive,” he says.
Only one in five Australian adults met the physical activity guidelines in 2022 (22.4%) (ABS, 2022). The benefits of strength training include boosting longevity, reducing anxiety and depression, strengthening balance and flexibility, helping with weight management, decreasing risk of personal injury, improving blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and significantly boosting heart health. Strength training reduces death by any cause by up to 21%.
DoDay has a GymStarter program designed to help the people of Hobart learn the ropes, a Step Club starting from the St Lukes Wellness Hub, and an Online Community to provide community support.
DoDay was one of only four Tasmanian finalists in the whole awards program. DoDay was named Tasmanian Independent Business of the Year in 2023 and was a finalist for Personal Trainer of the Year and People’s Choice Small Business of the Year.